


The Wedding Date

by Masdevallia



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Randolph/Ladislava, Dysfunctional Family, Everyone lives, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Drama, Friends With Benefits, Friends With Benefits To Lovers, Insecurity, Non-Explicit Sex, Sexual Content, Weddings, disasterous weddings, one of the characters here is kind of a creep by the way, sort of but also not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:02:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masdevallia/pseuds/Masdevallia
Summary: In a fit of desperation, Caspar invites Hilda to a wedding. She has no idea what she has in store for her.Hilspar Week, Day 7: Family
Relationships: Caspar von Bergliez/Hilda Valentine Goneril, Randolph von Bergliez/Ladislava
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	The Wedding Date

**Author's Note:**

> I think this is the 69th fic in the tag (nice) and the first modern AU fic specifically for this pairing? I admit I had brainworms for this prompt for a while sometime and mixed in some irl inspiration for this fic, because I think it reallllly fits this prompt and for these two and whoops I wrote almost 10k words again. I should also warn that Caspar's brother is a bit of a creep in this fic and I couldn't exactly figure out how to tag that but it's there. 
> 
> Also, if you're one of my hubernie readers, this Hilda could easily be interpreted as the one in Adagio/fic that takes place in the same universe.

This wasn’t what Hilda had signed up for. 

She had lifted her glass all the way up, as high up as she possibly could have and downed the rest of her drink in only a few large gulps. _This is a disaster!_

Hilda had recalled how she had gotten roped into this.

“Hey! Welcome to Valenti--” Hilda’s greeting had been cut short when she noticed it was Caspar von Bergliez who had walked into her store. “Caspar!” she said, after regaining herself from her shock and awe of seeing someone like him enter her store. He was wearing sweats and a hoodie, covering the tattoos she knew he had. He was probably either about to go work out or maybe had finished for the day.

His blue eyes were everywhere, watching the walls and decorations, then they fell on the glass countertops, which had small pink velour sheets underneath the displays. “Whoa...This store is really pink,” he said. 

She hadn’t seen him in...was it a month? Maybe two since their last encounter. It was definitely before she had officially held the grand opening of her second store in Enbarr.

But what was he doing here in her store? Usually men were here for their girlfriends or wives so did that mean…? Hilda had suddenly felt her heart drop at the idea over Caspar having met a girl and become so smitten with her he had to ask Hilda for help. Men typically sought her expertise on that. But it had reminded Hilda that she was always going to be on the sidelines, never good enough for anything. The reason why she owned this shop was because her friends had encouraged her, and they were right. 

“How’s it going? Do you need some help picking out something for a girl?” She was ready to accept Caspar being off the market. He was too cute to be perennially single. But it was her fault. Hilda had always insisted she wanted to focus on her business above all, even though Caspar was all too tempting in too many ways. She had to keep her distance from him.

“Huh? Girl? What girl?”

“You know...Getting an accessory for a girl? Do you know what she likes? Does she like flowers or butterflies or--Oh! I know just the thing!”

“No, no! That’s not it!” he said, one hand behind his neck. She saw he had a fresh bruise on his forehead. Usually, his body was filled with all kinds of bruises, but that came from his love of all things boxing. “I uh, I need your help.” 

_Well, that’s unexpected._ “Oh?” Thankfully, it wasn’t too busy here today. 

Caspar wasn’t the type to ask for her help. 

“What do you need?”

“This uh, isn’t the kinda thing I could tell you over the phone, but uh, are you busy tonight after work?” 

Hilda didn’t want to wait until that night. She hated being kept in suspense. “I’m not busy right now! Let me close up shop.” She began to lock up her glass cabinets. “There’s this super adorable place right across the street where we can talk!”

After they had picked up a couple of sweet buns and Hilda ordered some bubble tea, they sat outside under a pink umbrella, where Caspar could talk about what was troubling him. 

“I’m really glad I was able to find you here. I didn’t want to go all the way to the Alliance to find you.” Hilda didn’t think she was worth going all the way there, but Caspar had a way of flattening her, even unknowingly. 

“What’s up?” she asked.

“So, uh...where to begin?” He laughed to himself. “Well, my uh, uncle’s getting married.”

Hilda immediately understood. It was like a weight being lifted off her head. “Oh! You need me to be your wedding date!”

“Whoa, you’re fast, but yeah!” He laughed nervously. “Uh...whenever my family uh...asks me...you know, the questions like if I gotta girlfriend or something, I uh...I kinda bring you up to keep them off my back. And now they’re all asking me when they’re gonna meet Hilda and…”

Both of them had barely touched their food. Hilda was too stunned to even drink her bubble tea, afraid of the boba getting stuck in her throat due to her surprise. So she _was_ his girlfriend, in a sense. A fake one. 

“You need me to help you be your date?”

“I got myself into this mess. I know, I know you said you needed to focus on your store and all that, but my family…” He took a deep breath. She could tell her was desperate. She had seen his desperation take other forms, but never like this. “It’s just for a weekend, and everything’s paid for.”

Hilda smiled as the gears turned in her head. “Sure, I’ll help you! But…”

“I’ll do anything.”

“Well, my brother can be pretty annoying when he wants to be, so I’ll need you to help me too!” Holst was pretty annoying, always asking her when she’d be in a stable relationship and all that, even though she knew he’d tear to shreds whatever poor person she’d bring home. But if it was Caspar, then maybe...

“Oh? That’s all you need me to do? Then sure, yeah.” Caspar didn’t know Holst, but that would be a problem for later. 

“So when’s the wedding?”

“Saturday,” he said flatly. 

“ _Sa_ _turday_ !?” She choked on her bubble tea this time. “As in _this Saturday_?”

He nodded. “Uh…”

“As in _three_ days from now?” Based on Caspar’s nods, she couldn’t believe she agreed to something that was going to happen this week, with no preparation. But she couldn’t simply back away after saying yes and getting something out of it. 

“I know! I know! It’s last minute, but you’re you, Hilda. If there’s anyone who could help me, it’s you. Please?”

“You _so_ owe me for this,” she said. She would have to put the managers in charge of her stores on short notice, which would involve some serious compromise and sweet talking. 

“Thanks Hil! I know I could count on you! I’ll send you all the details and stuff. There’s no more surprises or anything. Promise!” Something about the way he said that made her wonder just how true that was, but the smile he had on his face was too cute to ignore. There were moments where Hilda hated herself for being too attracted to him and this was one of them. 

But weddings were no big deal. There was a ceremony, some family events, some dancing and food and drinking. Hilda would view it as a vacation. And Hilda loved vacations, especially if they were taken with really cute and sexy men. She couldn’t wait.

* * *

The wedding was in Gronder Field, which was part of the area where Caspar’s family reigned supreme. Caspar had downplayed the fact that his family was loaded and hid it too well, mostly by wearing various sports gear and the like. Perhaps the only indicator were his shoes, which were always spotless and clean.

But for once, he wasn’t wearing his usual scrappy clothes, but rather sky blue button up that brought out his eyes and black pants. She hadn’t picked them out for him, but she couldn’t help but realize with painful awareness that he cleaned up well. _Really well._

Hilda had brought a selection of six of her most serious, yet cute dresses. Today’s dress was a short sleeve dress that was black on top, but turned pink at the bottom, with black butterflies that formed over the skirt.

“”That’s quite a pretty dress you got there, Hil,” he said. 

“You clean up really well, too, you know.” Caspar had looked jittery and looked away from her. 

It wasn’t until they arrived at the hotel where his family had reserved for the guests to stay when he really began to show his nerves. “Don’t worry! Everything will be alright,” she began, “you’ve got me!”

“Uh...yeah.” He was all serious. “Oh no there’s my brother. I can see him in the lobby. Are you ready?”

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be! Just relax and have fun, you know?”

“Fun...sure.”

Hilda loved weddings and she figured she could use this occasion to try and network her store and their locations. After the valet had taken Caspar’s car, her arm found his and they linked.

The lobby had a lot of people, she wasn’t surprised to see this many people, but Caspar had only tightened his arm around her. Hilda saw that despite the many people, many had been locked in their private conversations, each person barely moving. There was a tension in the air she couldn’t quite place. Weren’t weddings supposed to be fun?

“Hey Caspar,” a male voice said. 

“Here it comes,” Caspar said under his breath so that only Hilda could hear. 

When they had turned around, they were met by a man who had heavily resembled Caspar in terms of eye and hair color, but was taller and bigger all around.“Holy shit that’s your girlfriend?”

“Hi! I’m Hilda! It’s so nice to meet you? You’re Caspar’s brother, right?”

He had eyed her up and down. Something about the way he did so made it seem as though he were leering at her. Hilda wasn’t the type of person to feel easily uncomfortable, but right now she did. “She’s a knockout. I’m sure you don’t see that much in your life.”

That was very much a thinly veiled insult from his part. His line of sight never left Hilda. She brought rather tame dresses compared to some of the stuff she had worn to other parties, but right now she felt as though she was dressed too provocatively. 

Caspar’s arm was now too tight.

“Still more than you, bro” he said.

“We should have some drinks together,” Caspar’s brother said. Something about the way he said it was all wrong. “Caspar’s never brought home a girlfriend before.” He laughed. “Maybe it should be just you and me. I’d like to know who my little bro is dating.” Hilda now began to understand some of Caspar’s dread. It was a good thing she was an expert in conversing with people.

“Sure!” she said offhandedly. “It was great meeting you, but Caspar and I need to say hello to the bride and groom first, you know?” That was their best chance at escape.

“See ya,” Caspar said.

The tension was too much to bear and both practically had run away from that encounter. “Seriously, your brother’s kind of a creep,” she whispered.

Caspar sighed. “Creep is one way to describe him,” he said. “Sorry about that,” he said. “There’s my uncle right over there,” he said, pointing. 

“Them? Are you sure?”

The core wedding party was perhaps the most miserable she had ever seen. Both the bride and groom appeared as though they didn’t want to be here. It was rare to see a bride and groom who weren’t the central part of a wedding. “Hi! Congrats you two!” she said. 

“Hey Uncle Randolph,” Caspar said, his tone friendlier than with his brother. They had looked less alike, with Randolph having dark blonde hair and brown eyes.

“It’s nice to see you again, Caspar,” Randolph said.

“You too, man.” They had given each other a greeting that comprised of a quick hug/pat thing men often did. Holst was fond of doing that with Baltie.

“Uh, this is Hilda.”

“Hello there! And you must be the bride, huh?” she asked the woman now holding hands with Randolph. She was incredibly tall and pretty, with her hair up in a tight bun, but her face was too serious for this occasion.

“I am,” she said, her tone just as serious as her demeanor. Hilda thought that since she was the bride, she could have used a few more accessories to make her stand out. For one, she could use flowers, perhaps a white rose to go with the contrast of her brown hair.

A younger girl had arrived with some drinks. “I don’t know why we’re doing this, Rand-- Oh, hi there!”

Hilda had introduced herself to the new figure, who was the Maid of Honor and Caspar’s aunt. 

The night had become a lot more pleasant since the girl, Fleche, had seemed to like Hilda. That made both Randolph and Ladislava loosen up, if only just a little. 

“Is it me, or were we the only ones hanging out with the bride and groom?” Hilda asked Caspar once they were in the elevator after everything had happened. 

“Oh yeah, alright. You weren’t seeing things.”

“I know, right? Everyone downstairs was super awkward.”

“Heh, it’s a good thing my parents haven’t arrived yet.”

“You mean to tell me it’s only going to get _worse_?”

Caspar let out a nervous laugh. “Haha, yeah.”

This was supposed to be a wedding event. She had understood why Caspar had been nervous, but she was quickly coming to the realization it wasn’t for any reasons she thought of over the past three days since she agreed to this.

One of the things Caspar had at least warned her about was the fact that they were sharing a room together. Hilda was fine with that. She had spent a few nights with Caspar before, both at his place and at hers. Usually at his place.

Their bags were already placed near the doorway to the side. 

The room was cream colored all over with large windows two both sides, with the walls being a light brown and painted with clouds all over. It was quiet and had a very intentional classy, old school charm to it..

Caspar had dived headfirst for the pillows. “Oh boy, this is way more awkward than I thought it would be.” She had never seen him this stressed before. Not even before one of his fights was he like this. Those days, he was pumped and ready to go. This was something else altogether.

Hilda sat on the edge of the bed. “Do you want me to help you out in any way?” It was weirdly distressing to see him like this. She had liked how carefree he was, but there was more to him than just someone who liked to fight and this was one of those moments where she got to see it. She got closer to him, ready to help him in whatever way. 

Caspar had responded, but not in the way she was expecting. His head found its way to her lap, his eyes were closed.

“I really don’t know why this happened. It’s probably Randolph’s mom or something who dragged him into this.”

Hilda had run her fingers through Caspar’s hair, even through the recently shorn off parts to the side, which were a tad ticklish, but felt soft to the touch. “What’s she like?”

Caspar groaned. “You’re probably going to not believe me or anything, but my family’s a bit crazy,” he said. “My grandpa, I don’t think he was too happy being married to my grandma, because he got with Randolph’s mom and got her pregnant with him while still married to her.”

“That’s awful!” Hilda said, gasping. “Not Randolph being born, he’s a nice guy, but what your grandfather did!”

“You don’t have to tell me. It was this big scandal way before I was born and all over the papers. My grandpa with Miss Fódlan. I think she even lost her title after that since it happened during her year. Anyway, my grandparents divorced and he remarried Randolph’s mom like right after that.”

It had all made sense now. Of course grudges like that ran deep. 

“You know how after each fight I get all these bruises and stuff?” Hilda nodded. “This was one of those knockout fights where there was one too many blows to the head. My dad hates Randolph and his whole side, though he didn’t do anything wrong or anything like that. He’s a pretty cool guy.”

“So why host a wedding when there’s such a clear divide?”

“I think Randolph’s mom wanted it. That, and my grandpa’s not in the best state so I think she wants him to see him married and all before he, you know...bites it.”

“Is your grandmother going to be here?” She wondered how much more dramatic this whole thing could be. 

“Nah, she died when I was still in school.”

“Goodness, your family is really…” She was now appreciative her family was extremely low-key compared to Caspar’s. No matter how annoying Holst got, she was grateful for him now. 

“Dramatic?”

“I was going to say ‘over-the-top’, but yeah.” Hilda laughed, her fingers no longer running through his hair. “You didn’t tell me on purpose!”

“Huh?”

“We’re renegotiating,” she said, moving away from him. His head no longer rested in her lap, but rather the bed. “You owe my brother at least three visits.” There was no way she would openly admit she was actually going to secretly enjoy the drama and theatrics (well, except for having to see Caspar’s older brother again), but this was definitely disproportionate to her side of the bargain. She was about to leave the bed until he grabbed her waist.

“No take-backsies!” he said, tackling her. 

“No!” she said, giggling as he pinned her to the bed.

Hilda’s heart began to race at the sight of Caspar being on top of her. This had happened between them many times before, and this still made her heart race. “Hey, Hilda?”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice breathy. 

“You still have that offer open?”

“I thought I already helped you!” she said, teasing. “Unless you mean…”

“Maybe…”

Caspar was starting to have a clue. She couldn’t help but smile at the notion. She brought him down for a kiss. Even though it had been maybe a month, or maybe two since their last kiss, kissing him had made her feel complete, in a sense. As though his lips were meant for her and her alone.

She had hoped there would be a little bit of intimacy over this weekend. It was the least she had been hoping for as their bodies began to lock against each other.

She popped the buttons of his shirt as quickly as he could as his hands went lower and lower down her dress. His mouth moved to her neck as his hands went elsewhere. She helped him out of his shirt, and threw it somewhere. She didn’t care where. His arms were covered in tattoos and there were a few on his chest, as there was no more room. 

Her eyes fell on a black butterfly right above his left pec. “That one’s new,” she said. Just when she thought she had memorized his body, he had to change that up. It was kind of hot, actually.

“Yeah. That one hurt,” he said, lifting her dress up. “It was worth it,” he said. 

“It kind of reminds me of my dress,” she said. “We sure think alike.” 

Hilda found him again, resuming their tryst. She didn’t mind if she had her clothes on this time. 

Both of them had gotten rid of the essentials, with Caspar kissing all of the parts where her skin showed, including the small swell of her breasts. The dress was conservative, but she still wanted to show a little bit of skin. 

“You still have that IOU-something thingy, right?” he asked. 

“Oh Caspar, what am I going to do with you,” she said, giving him a light kiss below his ear. It was one of his weak spots. “It’s called an IUD, by the way."

She had always wanted him, more than anything, even during the moments when he was being silly or a little scatterbrained or in the middle of a fight. He was never afraid to go after what he wanted, what he thought was right. And right now, to him, Hilda was what he wanted. 

It was impossible to forget what he had felt like. His ministrations, his determined kisses, the way their bodies had joined together in a desperate sense of urgency. It made her wonder why she was always turning down the idea of them being together. 

The door had knocked. Both stopped. “Maybe it’s just room service. Please be room service,” he said, his tone pleading.

The door knocked again. “Caspar? Are you in there?” a male voice asked. He definitely sounded older. 

“Oh no,” he said, his voice a couple of octaves higher. “It’s my dad.”

“So? Answer him?”

“Like it’s easy to answer your dad while you’re inside your date.”

She laughed. She had done this all too much when she lived at home, her poor partners confused by her amusement thanks to her brother’s behind-the-door interruptions.

“ _Caspar_.”

“Yes, dad?” Hilda jutted her hips up in an effort to tease him. She ensured her arms were around his waist so he wouldn’t leave. “Ahh! What’s up?”

“Come down to dinner. Your mother is asking for you,” he said.

Hilda moved under him, kissing all around his neck. “Oh no you’re so gorgeous,” he said, his attention momentarily diverted from his father. 

_“Caspar are you listening?”_ he asked in a stern voice. Even Hilda had jumped at how authoritative he sounded. 

“Y-yeah dad! I’m just in the shower. Give me ten…”

“Ten?” she asked. There was no way he was going to leave her unsatisfied and Caspar knew it.

“F-fifteen minutes?” 

“And not a minute more,” his father said. “Do not embarrass me.”

They heard his footsteps leave. 

“Four visits?” Hilda gave him her sweetest, most innocent smile, batting her eyes. It worked, just like everything she did worked, and it wasn’t long until she had reached that moment of bliss.

It was kind of awful she couldn’t simply laze about in bed with him, simply talking or simply enjoying each other in their bliss. 

Caspar had gotten up about a minute later, getting his shirt back on and making sure he was ready. Hilda dragged herself to the bathroom to clean up. 

“I should probably tell you about my dad,” he said when they were in the elevator. “My dad is the most terrifying man I know. If he says fifteen minutes and I don’t show, he’ll burst in and drag my ass down,” he said. “And I know what you’re thinking he’ll beat me in any and all fights.” He paced around the elevator. “How long has it been?”

“Huh? I don’t know! I haven’t been keeping track of time,” she said. 

“Ahh!” he said, pacing faster. 

“Calm down Caspar!” She grabbed his hand, forcing him to stand on the spot. 

They had reached the lobby, where a burly man who resembled Caspar but decades older stepped in, then out. 

“Uh, hi dad!” he said weakly. 

“I was just about to collect you. It’s been over twenty minutes.”

Caspar gulped. “Oh.”

“You’re Mr. Bergliez! I’m Hilda! And I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that might be my fault, if only a little!”

“Hilda!” Caspar said. 

“Oh Caspar! You know I couldn’t go out without my favorite accessory!” she said, pointing to her favorite earring. “I’m so sorry about that, Mr. Bergliez. I didn’t mean to hold Caspar back, but I couldn’t simply leave our room when my earring had dropped.”

“Yeah...it dropped in the toilet,” he said meekly.

Hilda wanted to burst out laughing. Caspar was really funny sometimes, even when he wasn’t trying. “Sorry about that! It’s not Caspar’s fault at all!” she said, winking at his father. Hilda thought he fell under “cute dad” territory. Maybe Caspar would age to look like him. They both had that look in their eyes, like they were born fighters. His brother had completely lacked it.

She wondered why he was so afraid of his dad.

“This wasn’t what I had in mind, but this is my girlfriend, Hilda,” he said. Her heart began to race at the mention of her being his girlfriend. She was never anyone’s girlfriend. Always the one who watched and helped her friends find their loves, but that wasn’t meant for her. Not at all.

“Hello again!” Hilda said, turning on her charm to the max. “We should go to dinner!”

She had been seated next to Caspar in a round table that featured his mother and brother. She saw the bride and groom sitting at a nearby table. 

She had been introduced to Caspar’s mother, who seemed like a friendly, well meaning woman. She also wore some cute clothes. Maybe she could be a future customer.

“Is this supposed to be a rehearsal or night before the wedding dinner?” she asked. 

“It’s just dinner,” Caspar’s father said. There was a gruffness to his tone of voice, as if he didn’t want to be here. It was a good thing Caspar had given her the down low on that.

“It feels good to finally meet the elusive Hilda in the flesh,” his mother said. She was clearly trying to make things seem better than they were. “At least that we got to meet you from this.”

“We were just starting to think he was making you up,” his brother said. “How much is he paying you?”

Their mother scolded him for his rudeness, but Hilda ignored it, opting to answer him.

“Oh, he only owes me a few visits to my home back in the Alliance,” she said in a teasing tone. “About five of them.”

“Ah, typical girlfriend requirements,” his mother said. 

“Exactly!” Hilda said, winking.

“We had always assumed Caspar would find an Adrestian girl,” his father said. “Finding out you were from the Alliance was quite the surprise.”

Hilda began to tell them a little bit about herself to them, all while avoiding the openly lecherous glare of Caspar’s brother as they ate. She was always good at leading conversations, anyway.

She also made sure to read the room at all times. 

Next to Randolph was his bride, but besides him was a glamorous woman who looked to be in her late thirties, perhaps? At least, upon first inspection and from far away. Next to her was an elderly man in a wheelchair. 

That had to be Caspar’s grandfather. 

None of them even looked at this table. 

At least not until near the end, when the glamorous woman steered him towards where Caspar’s father was seated. “It’s good to see you, son,” he said. “I’m glad you could set aside your differences and please this weary old man.” Caspar’s grandfather looked as though he had only a few years left in him. Even though he appeared frail, he too, shared those unmistakable bright blue eyes Caspar and his father had. 

His son’s blue eyes had darkened. “Make no mistake. I only did this for you, Father. Not for _you_ ,” he said, flashing a dark gaze at his stepmother, who upon closer inspection, was likely the same age as him. _Yikes_. Although...Hilda wanted to look like her when she aged. She could respect that. The only visible flaw were the lines in one of her ears, which she carefully flipped her white-blonde hair over.

“And I appreciate it. I’m expecting tomorrow to be a civilized event. If only for my sake.” 

“Only if your wife can manage to pull that off. Or her brother,” Caspar’s mother said. She had seemed jovial a few minutes ago, but her temper was flashing here, showing a fierceness that Hilda knew never to cross. Her face went from a hint of menacing back to a smile. “Goodnight! Sleep well.”

The stepmother wheelchaired him out of the restaurant. 

The rest of the dinner’s tone was quiet and awkward. If Hilda were younger, she would have tried to placate the table, but rather, she didn’t want to further derail the room with any kind of misplaced, awkward conversation. All of this went beyond her. She was only just a wedding date.

It was fun to wonder if she had met Caspar’s parents under more mundane circumstances, but what was the point in that if things weren’t a bit more interesting? She thought this was one fun way to spend a weekend.

She had pulled Caspar’s father aside right before they were about to part. He was about as confused as she expected. “I’m really sorry about earlier, by the way.” The truth was that she wasn’t. But it was best to get on his good side.

“You said you ran a store concerning that?”

“Yep yep yep!” she said, trying to sound as peppy as she could. “Psst, you know... We do secret orders and deliveries.” She discreetly handed him a business card. “If you ever want to give your wife a nice birthday, anniversary, or even just a cute gift for the sake of it, you can always contact me! I’ll give you a nice discount just for being Caspar’s dad!” 

Mr. Bergliez stared at the business card. “Whoa, don’t think I’ve ever seen a pink business card before.”

Hilda laughed, thinking of how similar he sounded to his son right then and there. Caspar never really mentioned how similar they were. He had been mostly afraid of him. Hilda entertained the thought of Caspar growing up to be similar to him in that way.

“It’s scented!” she said. “Goodnight! Can’t wait to see you at the wedding!”

Caspar had been saying goodnight to his mom before they parted ways. 

“Phew,” he said when the elevator doors shut. He had slumped to the floor. 

“Caspar!”

“That went _so_ much better than expected.” There was a blissful look on his face as he remained sitting against the wall. 

“Well, yeah. I mean, aside from your parents attitude towards your step-grandma, of course it went well!” 

The elevator doors opened to their floor, and Caspar got up. He lowered his head to give her a kiss, which Hilda eagerly reciprocated. She could barely restrain herself as they practically ran to their hotel suite as they were in a tight liplock.

Caspar let out a yell when the door slammed. “Who’s up for round two?”

Hilda could barely keep her breath steady after their second (and third) encounter.

Even though the sex was always mindblowing, Hilda also took great enjoyment in their post-coital cuddles. He was a surprisingly good cuddler and Hilda was naturally cuddly by nature. She had platonic naps with all of her friends at least at one point or another. Caspar had held her close. 

“Did you like round two?” he asked. 

She nodded, yawning, “And round three, too!”

Caspar was stroking her hair. “My parents loved you,” he said, kissing her hair. “You make it look so easy.” There was a sort of wistful tone to him. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked, tightening her arms around him. 

“I’m just the second son, you know? My brother’s the one carrying the business and all that. Like I get it, I don’t really have what it takes for any of that. Not like him or dad or you.” Caspar winced. “Ugh. When I put it that way, it seems like I’m jealous. I’m not jealous.”

“I didn’t think you were jealous,” she said. “Actually, you and your dad are really similar. And your mom, too. I wouldn’t beat myself over that kind of thing.” 

He kissed her forehead. “Yeah, yeah…” He sighed. “Just glad you’re here with me, you know?”

“Well yeah! Who else is going to enjoy all that drama?”

Caspar had laughed at her admission. “You really are something else, Hilda.”

She snuggled deeper into his chest, her lips on the butterfly tattoo right above his pec. “I should mention I liked your parents, too.” She paused. “Jury’s out on your brother, though.”

“He’s an asshole,” he said. 

“Yeah, he’s not very nice and there’s just something...I don’t know. I just don’t like the way he looks at me.” Hilda had naturally lazy tendencies but if there was one thing she had worked on, it was her own appearance. She had been seen as a piece of eye candy to many, but took satisfaction in being a “look but don’t touch” kind of girl, but even then there were limits.

“He’s never really had to work for anything. Since my dad won out in getting everything, my brother’s kind of expected to get everything for himself.”

Hilda was a second child herself, so there was some understanding here, but Holst wasn’t anything like him. “So he thinks he’s just going to get everything without lifting a finger.” Caspar had worked hard to get where he was. He trained almost every single day, did research on past boxers, read about the best ways to land a punch and how to best win a fight. His brother refused to lift a finger while Caspar had both hands ready to go.

She remembered the first time she had seen him over a year ago and how quickly he had taken down his opponent in just three rounds. Hilda knew she just had to talk to him somehow and get his attention. It had proved to be surprisingly hard, because he wasn’t as perceptive to her flirtations during the first few times she spoke to him. He was a little dumb in that sense, but she took appreciation in it. Until she had asked him to go help her with her luggage. It was then when he started getting the picture.

“Yeah, that’s about it. He’s smart, though, but man, sometimes I just want to knock some sense into him.”

Hilda laughed. He had turned on the television to some sports channel until they had fallen asleep in each other’s arms, the voices of the commentators lulling her into a deep sleep. 

*

Caspar had snuggled her awake. 

Hilda had nearly forgotten how comfortable it felt to sleep besides Caspar’s naked body inside a shared bedcover. 

He kissed her hair. “Psst, Hilda, wake up.”

“No,” she said, snuggling. 

Caspar was an early riser, he usually had to train, which was why she preferred it when he spent the night at her place rather than the other way around. 

“Come on, we gotta get breakfast.”

Hilda could go without breakfast. She needed to get her beauty sleep! “Go on without me,” she murmured, unaware if she sounded coherent or not. Nothing would get to her wake, not even if he had tried to seduce her, which thankfully, didn’t seem to be the case.

She was rolled awake some time later, which was at a slightly better hour. A covered plate was on the nightstand. Caspar was nowhere in sight until she heard the sound of a hair dryer being turned on. 

When Hilda uncovered the plate, she saw a continental breakfast picked out for her. A croissant, some eggs, bacon, pastries with cream, a bagel and jam. There were plastic utensils in a bag along with small packs of salt and black pepper. 

The gesture was really sweet. 

Hilda put on a robe she had packed and began eating the breakfast Caspar got for her while he remained in the bathroom. The food wasn’t bad at all, and when Caspar came out of the bathroom, he had been partially dressed. 

“You’re up,” he said.

Hilda got out of bed to hug him. “You’re _so_ sweet, Caspar!” she said, pulling him into a hug. She kissed his cheek for effect.

Caspar was visibly blushing. “Yeah….uh, didn’t want you to go hungry during the ceremony or anything. Don’t they go on for kinda too long and stuff?”

“You’re such a sweetie.” She tackled him with more kisses and it was by some kind of miracle that they didn’t escalate it. Rather, they had to get ready. The ceremony was the most important part, after all!

It had been meticulously organized, with flowers everywhere and the groom standing in front of a beautiful blue gazebo, also decorated with flowers. 

Hilda had once briefly considered being a wedding planner when she was a teenager. She had been something of a romantic, even if she wasn’t quite interested in the sappy stuff. But when she did the research, she found it was demanding and time consuming and dealing with mood-swinging brides was not something she wanted to do. 

And yet, she had still found herself in the business of romance. Of designing and crafting accessories. Her most expensive and lucrative commissions always involved engagement rings in particular. 

However, there was one teeny-tiny problem with the wedding. 

“This is an insult!” Caspar’s dad had said. He was appalled they had been assigned to sit in the very back.

Caspar’s hand was on hers as his father got up from his seat. 

“Oh boy, here it comes,” Caspar had whispered. 

“Your father has a point. This is his brother’s wedding, after all,” Caspar’s mother said. She had, thankfully, been seated on Hilda’s’ other side. 

They could see him arguing with Randolph’s mother. All eyes were on them as they bickered. 

“Six visits,” Hilda singsoned into Caspar’s ear.

Caspar’s grandfather was shaking his had the entire time. 

A few minutes later, he had motioned them to come forward with his hand, where they were seated front and center. The only downside to that now was Caspar’s dad and Randoph’s mom exchanging barbs at every second. Caspar’s hand had gripped hers so tightly that she felt it fall asleep a few times.

But once Hilda had learned to tune them out, everything went beautifully well. 

She had almost cried when the bride and groom kissed, which was always her favorite part. The inner romantic in her loved the idea of two souls uniting metaphorically, even if the brother and mother of the groom were exchanging words the entire time. 

After all that, both Hilda and Caspar had changed clothes for the reception. 

She no longer wore a classic little black dress, but rather a knee length coral pink lace dress and matching ballet shoes suitable for dance.

“We’re at the home stretch,” Caspar said when they left their suite. 

“You sound a little relieved,” she said. 

“Well, yeah. Although I could have used less of dad’s attitude.” They had linked arms and left to a sunlit room overlooking the fields. “Are you ready to get this over with?”

The party had been in full swing already. 

Of course, her first dance was with Caspar, who for all of his skills in boxing, was an abysmal dance partner. Maybe if the song playing was of a slower tempo, she would have been able to convince him to dance more easily to the song’s beat. 

Her eyes fell on the bride and groom, both who looked utterly miserable. 

“Hey Caspar, look over there.” She swayed him to look in the direction she was in. 

“What’s up?”

“Do you notice something weird going on?”

“My uncle and his wife aren’t dancing?” He observed them some more. “They’re kind of not doing anything, huh?”

“They look downright sad! If this were my wedding, it would be the happiest day of my life, right? Or among them.”

“You’re right, that _is_ weird. Huh. Wonder what’s that all about.”

“Maybe we should ask them.”

A child, the flower girl to be specific, had run in the direction, interrupting them. She appeared to recognize Caspar. “Hey! It’s Caspar!!” she said. She ran straight into his arms.

“Whoa there! You’ve gotten big!” He ruffled her hair.

Hilda concealed a smile from her face at the sight of Caspar with the little girl. 

“How old are you now?”

“Eight!”

“I’m getting kinda old now, huh?” he said. 

“Don’t say that!” Hilda said, “You’re gonna make _me_ feel old!” After all, she was nearly two and a half years older than him. 

“Hi!” the flower girl said to Hilda. “Are you Caspar’s girlfriend?”

Hilda blushed at the question. Even though they had gone over the fact that she was kind of a pretend girlfriend for this event, she had the realization that after the weekend was over, she’d be back to being in...in whatever it was that they were. _Friends with benefits, remember?_ “Um, yeah! I’m Hilda!”

“This is my little cousin,” Caspar said. 

“Can I dance with you, Caspar?” she asked. 

“Why, of course!” _What a sweetie_. Caspar was really one of the nicest men she had ever met. 

Hilda waived at them as she exited the space that acted as a dancefloor. 

Much to her dismay, the bride and groom were missing. “Where could they have gone?”

“Hey there.” Caspar’s older brother was now next to her. 

“Hi!”

“I see my brother has left you alone.” 

She shot a glance at Caspar, who had been holding his little cousin’s tiny hands. He spun her around the dancefloor. It was a really adorable sight. “Well, of course I left him there! It would be mean to his little cousin if I didn’t!”

“Then would you indulge me in a dance?”

“I was going to go find the ladies’s room first, but when I’m back, we can definitely have a dance.”

He grabbed her hand. “What’s the fun in waiting? Just one dance,” he said. 

Hilda pried it back from him. “I was trying to be nice here, but no!”

“I’m not asking. I’m _saying_ you’ll dance with me,” he said. 

Hilda’s intuition about him was spiking. “Geez, you’re not used to being told ‘no’.” He really _was_ entitled. 

“I don’t believe for a second that you’re dating my loser brother.”

“Is it really that hard for you for you to not believe Caspar’s a really cool guy?”

“You’re not the sort of girl who would look at him,” he said, eyeing her up and down. “A knockout like you?”

“I’m sorry, but _who_ are you to say that? Also, I will nicely ask if you can let go of my hand. My big brother has taught me a few things about throwing a punch or two, not to mention one of my best friends is a self-defense teacher.”

Hilda knew one too many things about fighting. It had always been in her family. Holst would hold mock fights with Baltie and they would both teach her some of the ropes. They would watch boxing matches all the time. Mostly on TV, but sometimes one of them got a way in a match. She knew Caspar wasn’t the most adept fighter, but there was something fun, something charismatic of him. 

Hilda had been surrounded by a family of fighters her entire life. 

And now…

Caspar’s brother let go of his hand on her. 

And then everything stopped, including the song. 

“Is this not enough!” a female voice said. “I have played my part on this charade of a wedding. I said that I would not have a dance and that is final!” All eyes were on the bride, who appeared as though she were moments away from yelling at her mother-in-law.

“Yikes,” Hilda said.

“Are you really going to do this, Ladislava?” Caspar’s step grandmother said. “I toiled so hard for this wedding.”

“Because you weren’t able to get one of your own!” Ladislava said. “And for the record, Randolph and I already got married last month in a private ceremony with all our friends watching.” 

Caspar’s step-grandmother let out a dramatic gasp. This wedding was just full of surprises. 

“Randolph! What do you have to say in all of this?”

“It was what we wanted,” he said, siding with his wife.

“It’s because you wanted to showboat!” Caspar’s mother said, interrupting. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have seated your own stepson in the back row!”

“Are you still mad I broke up with your brother?”

 _Brother?_ _So Caspar’s uncle on his mother’s side was also with this woman as well? Talk about messed up family dynamics!_

“You told him, you told everyone to keep the relationship a secret because you wanted to follow your stupid dreams and become Miss Fódlan and then you threw that into the firepit!”

The spectators all watched the two women spat. Except for the bride, who left the scene. Randolph trailed right behind her. Hilda wondered if they had made an exit-stage-left for their honeymoon. She hoped so, because they looked at their happiest now that they were leaving the party.

“You’re just mad because I fell out of love with my brother.”

“You broke his heart! And now I’m going to rip out your other earlobe!” Caspar’s mother yanked at her chandelier earrings, pulling them down. 

“Ouch!” Hilda said, looking away.

Somehow, that had kickstarted another fight between the party members and fellow members of House Bergliez. People were now fighting all over the place. All the children were screaming, some pulling each other’s hairs and the adults weren’t any better. Caspar’s dad held a man against his waist, punching him repeatedly, while Caspar’s mother was on top of his step grandmother. 

“Oh wow,” was all Hilda could say at this mess. 

“Don’t think I didn’t see you with my girlfriend!” Caspar said, barreling at his brother. He was letting out a yell. “Don’t you dare touch her like that ever again or I’ll send you flying!”

Caspar had pummeled him into a nearby table, breaking it in half. 

If Hilda were a normal wedding date, she would have left screaming. But instead she jumped up and down. “Go Caspar! Go! Go! Go!” She cheered him on the sidelines! She always would. 

While everyone was in a fighting frenzy, Hilda managed to sidestep all of the fighters, preferring to stay away from them. She snuck behind the bar and poured herself a glass of wine. 

“One cup of water for me,” someone said while she poured the glass of wine.

When Hilda looked up, she saw it was Caspar’s grandfather. He looked absolutely weary. “Oh! Hi there!” Instead of pouring him water, she poured another glass of wine for him. “Here you go!”

“I asked for water,” he said. Despite his voice being hoarse, she could hear him perfectly fine.

“I know. But you look like you need some wine, if I’m being honest.” She gasped. “Oh! Unless you can’t have wine for medical reasons. Sorry about that!” She got water from a spout. 

“Forget it. My wife says I shouldn’t drink alcohol, but I’ll take you up on it,” he said, laughing. “I’ve never seen you around here before.” He drank the entire glass as if it were a shot. Hilda followed his lead.

“I’m Hilda! I’m Caspar’s date!”

“Caspar! The boy brought a date, and a beautiful one to boot.”

Hilda laughed. “Oh! You're flattering me!”

“You don’t seem bothered by this at all, Miss Hilda.”

She watched Caspar as he landed a few blows on his brother. She sighed at him. It was really hot to see him fighting for her. Hilda believed she wasn’t worth fighting for, not really. Mostly because if she were pushed--and she nearly was-- there would be a breaking point, but she preferred to solve conflicts in other ways. “I guess not!”

“You’ve got that moxie! It’s what our ilk prefer.” She poured them another drink.

Hilda pouted. “What do you mean?”

“No ordinary person would look at all this and not want to run away. If Caspar brought you here, then he thinks you have what it takes to join House Bergliez. No one can just simply attend a Bergliez wedding.”

Caspar had brought her here because...Because she was likely the only girl he had time for, right?

“Stop it! You keep flattering me, sir!”

When they locked eyes, she saw he had the same spark in them as his grandson’s. And was he implying this was all _normal_ for them?“ Two years,” he said. “I’ll give it two years.”

Yes, this wasn’t what Hilda had signed up for, but it was a heck of a lot more entertaining than she would have ever expected.

She had lifted her glass all the way up, as high up as she possibly could have and downed the rest of her drink in only a few large gulps. _This is a_ total _disaster!_

Caspar had made it to the bar, watching them. “Hey gramps.”

“Hope you didn’t get too scuffled in there. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the two of you fight like that,” he said. 

“Eh, he deserved it. I think now he’ll know better than to make Hilda uncomfortable.” She glanced over to his brother, who had clearly conceded.

“My hero!” she said. “Do you want some wine?”

“Nah! I think I’m just all fired up!” 

“It was nice meeting you, Mr. Bergliez!” She stopped for a second. “Oh! And if you ever want to buy your wife a present, I run an accessory store in the capital. You should check it out!” She handed him a business card. _Though maybe not any earrings._ “It’s strawberry scented!”

Caspar’s hand was on the small of her back as they left the venue and went back into the hotel and their suite. 

Despite how eager, and even rough he could be in bed after a fight, those were always her favorite moments. Caspar would never hurt her, but would channel his energy into other ways and it always made up the best of their encounters. But this one had dwarfed all of them, likely because it had been so _personal_. 

They had barely made it into the bed and Hilda ended up getting out of her dress mid-encounter. 

Caspar had kissed every inch of Hilda’s back, which only heightened everything she felt. She wasn’t much of a screamer, but at worst, she knew she could get really giggly and giddy during sex and this was one of those occasions. He always knew exactly what she liked and even when he was being a little rough, he made her feel wanted. Hilda tried not to succumb to those feelings, but this was one of those times where it had been _really_ testing her.

When they finished, she saw that he was still wearing his suit. His tie had been loosened, so Hilda took care of that, making sure they were both comfortable. 

“Oh Hil, that was...that was something.”

She kissed his forehead, which was wet with sweat. He winced. 

“Did I kiss a bruise?”

“Yeah, probably, but it’s nothing,” he said. “Although it’s probably not a good idea for me to sleep longer than two hours, but I’m too fired up.”

“Still? You’re going to really wear me out, huh?”

“Maybe,” he said, wrapping her up. Hilda loved the feeling of his body whenever they cuddled. 

“That was fun,” she said. “A lot of fun! But you owe me and Holst seven visits now.”

Caspar kissed the nape of her neck. “Hm.” His lips lingered there. “Counter offer.”

“Counter offer? You know that word?” she said, teasing.

“I know lots of things!” 

“Let’s hear it!”

“Well,” he began, drawing out the word. “I can’t _really_ make seven visits to you and your brother, can I? Let me be your boyfriend, your _actual_ boyfriend.”

Hilda went entirely still. 

“Oh no, you don’t like that.”

“I...I…” It was rare when she was at a loss for words. Here she was, laying in bed with one of the most attractive, sweetest guys she had ever met who was also her perfect match in bed and in conversation and was just someone she felt like it was okay to be herself around without judgement. But he had wanted something more with her. And she…

He met her at eye level, his blue eyes never leaving hers. “Come on, Hilda. I know you said that you wanted your business to flourish and to come first and all that, but I’m crazy about you. I think that’s kind of obvious.”

She collected all her thoughts. “Are you sure you want to be serious with me? What if I disappoint you?”

Caspar shook his head and laughed. “I know I had told my dad you were my girlfriend and everything to save face and get him off my back, but even if I didn’t, I’d still have brought you here.” He took her hand. “You know why?”

“Why?”

“Because you’re amazing and awesome and everyone loves you. You see crazy shit like my family fighting at a wedding and you just shrug and let people live their lives. There aren’t a lot of people like you.”

She tore her gaze away from him. “Stop it! I’m not used to compliments.”

“I want to shower you every day with them, and every night, too, so you can get used to them. I’m starting to think the real reason you don’t want a relationship is because you’re too scared.”

“You can be surprisingly sharp, sometimes.” She liked him. Too much, even. He had definitely caught onto that.

“Surprisingly? What’s that supposed to mean?

Hilda didn’t know if this was the right time to admit she was afraid, even if she knew that she was incredibly happy whenever she was with Caspar and she had avoided him, thinking he would be happy without her, but that didn’t seem to be the case. She knew perfectly well that she could balance her business alongside her personal life. She didn’t want to be on the sidelines anymore, watching her friends enter romantic relationships and help cheer them on.

She saw the butterfly tattoo on his chest. He took notice. “Hilda, I’ve been into you for what feels like forever now. Why do you think I have this butterfly? I got it because each time I think of it, I think of the hairpin you wore the night we met. I can’t stop thinking about you, and I like to think you do the same.”

Hilda couldn’t hide her fears anymore. “I do, Caspar. All the time.” She knew the next words she would say would carry immense weight. Hilda hated having pressure put on her, but, “Counteroffer accepted,” she said, meeting his gaze. 

He lit up, almost as if he had won a fight, but even moreso. “I’ll be the best boyfriend I can be to you, Hilda! And I’ll behave when I’m visiting your brother! Just you wait!”

He embraced her, giving her a barrage of kisses. “That won’t be necessary.” 

“Ohh! I know let’s go to an amusement park for our first official date! Or maybe we can go paintballing!”

“I like all those ideas! Well, I’ve always wanted to go to a certain amusement park!”

Caspar covered her in kisses, this time the feeling felt different, as though he were trying to make her understand his feelings, the emotions he felt for her too. Hilda tried to match them, but knew that it would take a little bit of time to adjust to it all, but the idea of having a boyfriend, of allowing herself to fall for someone, wasn’t so terrible, and if she was being honest with herself, she was really smitten with him, too.

A part of her couldn’t wait until she saw her friends so she could recount this weekend in incredible detail, and how she had somehow acquired a boyfriend through it all, but a bigger part of her was even more excited for the dates they’d have and what the future could look like for them.

*

One month later, when Caspar met Holst for the first time, they decided to have an outdoors, shirtless and in the mud. Caspar had barely beaten him. Hilda thought her brother was being silly and it was a little embarrassing, but she also wanted to see who was going to win.

“Hey! I like this one!” Holst said while on the ground. Caspar was beaming at her, his face all muddy. 

“Oh Caspar, what am I going to do with you?”


End file.
